With the NBA Trade Deadline less than 30 hours away, every team’s GM has their BlackBerry perpetually plugged into their charger. Things are getting crazy, and as more and more trades begin to happen, the rumors are only becoming more intense. One team that many think could benefit from a trade is the Milwaukee Bucks. Do they ship Kurt Thomas to a contender? Does anybody want Michael Redd? Do they do anything this season, or just kind of ride it out? With all this in mind, I got up with Jeremy Schmidt of Bucksketball to try and figure out the Bucks’ next move.

Dime:What are you hearing out in Milwaukee?Jeremy Schmidt: There’s actually now been some rumblings about a deal with the Pacers. If the Bucks were to take on Troy Murphy, I’d think they’d move Kurt‘s expiring, Luke‘s expiring and then either Hak or Ersan, probably Ersan. Murphy has a year left after this one so he doesn’t kill the Bucks there. Pacers would probably rather have Ersan than Warrick, for the simple fact that we all know what Warrick is and Ersan can be better/may already be as good.

Dime:What does Murphy bring to Milwaukee?JS: Murphy gives the Bucks the rebounding and outside shooting that Ersan provides, but isn’t as good a defender, fortunately Bogut covers everyone’s ass there.

Dime:So does Milwaukee definitely make a move?JS: Either way, it makes sense for the Bucks to peddle Kurt and Ridnour to try and get a late first or second round pick. Milwaukee blew it last year by not getting value back, even as just extra picks, for Sessions and Chuckie V. If you’re letting them go anyway, why not get value?

Dime:What about Michael Redd? Does anybody want him?JS: Redd, not going anywhere. He’ll finish the deal in WI, they expect him back in November. The funny thing about expiring contracts is that they aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Sure it sounds great to have expirings, but teams only want expirings in exchange for players with more time on a deal that they aren’t living up to. That’s my view at least. So if the Bucks are trying to be fiscally responsible, there aren’t many deals out there for them because the Summer of 2011 is/has been their big theme.

Dime:So how far can they go with this team, this year?JS: It’ll be interesting. At the very least even if they bore at the deadline, the tools are there for a playoff push/first round exit.

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I think the Bucks should just keep the team they have, focus on the draft/free agency and go hard next year.

By: SJ

02.17.2010 @ 12:11 PM

Pacers should not deal out Murphy. That’d be a bad move, especially for the players they’d be getting.

By: Hector

02.17.2010 @ 5:14 PM

I think the bucks should keep the team they have. Unless they can deal gadzo and thomas (highly unlikely) they should keep everyone in tact. This team has great chemistry and jennings and bogut and illyasova are only guetting better as the season goes by. If we get rid of rhidnour that would be a HUGE MISTAKE! He knows how to run this team and is very diciplined. If the bucks can get murphy for gadzo and thomas, john hammond deserves gm OF THE CENTURY

By: MarquetteEC

02.17.2010 @ 6:41 PM

This trade doesn’t really make sense. If the intent is to make a playoff push… I don’t see it. We have the third highest scoring bench in the league (primarily led by Ridnour and Ilyasova) and everyone knows the value of a big man like Kurt Thomas in the playoffs. We should take our lumps and focus on the best free agent class of all time. Take another inside-outside forward/center in draft (Greg Monroe perhaps?). All free agent cash should go to Joe Johnson. Jennings, Johnson, Mbah a Moute, Monroe, and Bogut my dream team! Regardless, our chances of making the playoffs would be a wash if this trade were to go down.